[In February's 2006 issue, we looked at the diverse natureof American society and the disparity between the new generation ofyoung people who are so technologically linked to each other thatindividualism has suffered, compared to the poor of the samegeneration who can barely function in the modern globalized world.How these various aspects of society will affect the insuranceindustry remains to be seen.]

We in the claim business are going to be encountering anincreasingly diverse cultural mix of insureds and claimants.Consider that in 2004, there were 1.6 million Islamic people, 1.5million Buddhists, and 1.1 million Hindus living in the UnitedStates. So-called minorities already represent 40 percent of thepopulation of the state I live in, and better than 50 percent in ahandful of other states. Having spent a considerable time in LosAngeles over the past few years, I find it fascinating to see howthat cultural and international society has learned to live with amultilingual mixture. I don't speak much Spanish, but even a fewwords of greeting make life a richer experience when a lot of thehotel and restaurants, gas stations, and other services arepopulated with speakers of this language. Americans need to learnother languages, not resent the fact that foreigners speakdifferent ones.

Dealing with Diverse Cultures

Suppose you are a claim supervisor and your American insured hasjust collided with a car driven by a visiting businessman fromSaudi Arabia. You know that the man speaks English, but accordingto your insured, he and his wife were dressed in Mideasternfashion. You assign Suzie, your best adjuster, to the claim andsuggest that she meet with the visiting family to begin the claimprocess before they return to the Middle East.

Suzie calls the hotel where the claimants are staying and makesan appointment to see them. How should she prepare for thisassignment? Can she go on a Friday? Should she inquire as to whattime would be best for them in order to see if they might be atprayer? Or should they break their routine to suit Suzie and theinsurer? Should she purchase a hejab — a scarf-like cover for herface and hair — or can she visit bareheaded? May she cross her legswhile visiting, exposing the soles of her shoes?

As a woman, can she even speak directly with a Muslim man?Should she take Sam, another adjuster, along to talk to thehusband, and, if so, can he also talk with the claimant's wife? Maythe adjusters rush the claimants toward a settlement of the claimsince they may soon be returning to Arabia? What is the properprotocol here?

A reference on Arabian business and culture, Mohammad Al-Sabt,comments that Arabic people seek the least amount of conflictpossible. “A concept called 'save face' is a way to solve conflictsand avoid embarrassing or discomforting the parties involved.” Thisart requires “using maneuvers or holding one's reactions to givethe other party a way to exit the situation with minimal discomfortor harm to his dignity. It involves compromise, patience, andsometimes looking the other way to allow things time to get back tonormal.” Further, pressure tactics are a sign of negativity to anArab. When an Arabian businessman is being pressured into making adeal, “he may indirectly refuse the matter by offering to study thesubject,” but this isn't necessarily a positive sign.Unpleasantness is associated with the individual. “There is noseparation between you as a person and the business you representor conduct in the Arabian world. Business is not onlybusiness.”

Business Protocol Differs

When meeting foreigners on business, American claimrepresentatives should have some notion about the culture of thenation from which a person comes and whether or not the individualis just a visitor or has become an American resident. Many Asiansand Africans retain their traditional dress and customs in Americaeven after being here for decades. In most large cities, we havebecome accustomed to seeing Indian women in sarongs, Mideasternwomen with their bodies wrapped in black and their heads covered,and Africans in their native garb. This is often less true forthose from Latin America or the Caribbean, who are likely to dressin typical Western fashions.

Business protocol in India, with its extensive Englishbackground, is not too unusual. One might greet a Hindu by sayingnamast. In India, one would hold his hands chest-high with palmspressed together and make a slight bow, but this would probably notbe necessary in greeting a Hindu visitor in America. A bowacknowledges the deity in the other person. An Indian Sikh could begreeted with the phrase sat sri akal or an Indian or PakistaniMuslim with salam alaikum, but in any case, if the person'sreligion is not known, one may simply say, “How do you do?” Men mayshake hands with men when meeting or leaving, but must not touch awoman either in greeting or otherwise. Western women may offertheir hand to a westernized Indian man, but not to others, andIndian women may shake hands with another woman but not with men,although a more modern Indian woman may offer her hand to a man.Use only the right hand when shaking hands with a Muslim. The righthand is used to draw one's sword …

It is best not to address Asian visitors by their first names,if it is known. Use a title, such as Mr., Mrs., Miss (perhaps notMs.), or if the person is a professional, use the title Doctor orProfessor, followed by the family name. For Japanese visitors, addthe word san to the family name. A Japanese handshake — which isappropriate — may seem limp, and there will be little or no eyecontact. A slight bow also may be appropriate in greetings, butthis should not be overt and never in jest. Don't stand so closethat you bang the other person's head.

Names often are confusing to Americans. An Indian may use onlyhis initials with his last name. Muslims have no surname. Theirnames are written with the given name plus bin (son) or binti(daughter) plus the father's given name. Sikhs use the name Singh,although not all people with that name are Sikhs. The given nameprecedes it.

Vietnamese and Thai customs are similar to those of other Asiannations. Hand shaking is not uncommon, and Vietnamese may bow to anAmerican. Bow to an elderly Vietnamese person who may not extendhis or her hand. Thai people are predominantly Buddhist and theirsociety is very hierarchical; hence, one's social standing iscrucial.

It's a mistake to lump all Africans and African Americanstogether as one in our thinking, just as it is incorrect tocategorize all people from South or Central America and theCaribbean as Hispanics, and all Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, orJapanese as Asian. Black people from Africa are different fromBlack people from the Americas, just as the French are differentfrom Turks. Labels and stereotypes just don't work.

It's a big world, but it is getting smaller every day. Each ofus has a great opportunity to enjoy the diversity of the world andits many cultures. Unfortunately, globalization is blendingcultures into a homogenized glob. Big cities, on whatevercontinent, tend to look similar rather than retaining distinctpersonalities. It may seem amusing to an American to visit groupsof nations, such as those in Scandinavia, and find that Danish,Swedish, and Norwegian languages, though similar, are entirelydifferent. The blender hasn't struck there yet. My dollar bill maystill praise a “new world order” (novus ordo seclorum), but I hopewe never lose the joys of learning about the many diverse andunique cultures.

Ken Brownlee, CPCU, is a former adjuster and risk manager,based in Atlanta. He now authors and edits claim-adjustingtextbooks.